Basha celebrates Arizona football Open Division championship title with ring ceremony

In a darkened Chandler Basha High School gymnasium, a video played with highlights from the school's first state football championship, a thrilling 28-21 win over Scottsdale Saguaro in December.

Coach Chris McDonald, after acknowledging the efforts from the booster club, told the players to find their position tables. On there, were boxes. Then, after a count of three, they were told to open them.

All of them pulled out gold and diamond rings that had 'OPEN DIVISION STATE CHAMPS' on them and put them on, big smiles on their faces.

The ring ceremony was worth the wait, especially for senior offensive lineman and captain James Durand, a varsity starter since his freshman year, who soon will be graduating, before heading off to Wisconsin to start his college career.

"There were four original freshmen from that (2023) class, and we got it done," Durand said.

A few hours later, Basha began its first official spring football practice Monday with Durand's shoes the biggest to fill before the 2023 season begins in August.

Can Basha keep building off of this? Can it become that year-in, year-out elite team like CUSD schools Chandler and Hamilton have been? National rankings every year?

"I think we're going to be able to ride this power out," Durand said. "And we're going to become a powerhouse."

It will start with quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who will be starting his fourth straight year on varsity in the summer and fall.

Williams wore sunglasses as he mingled among teammates after the ring ceremony, posing for pictures.

"Building this program, I think for years to come, we're going to be a dominant team and be able to compete for a championship every year," said Williams, one of the nation's top dual threats who has committed to Ole Miss. "It's a standard from now on."

The Bears will need versatile athlete Miles Lockhart to return to top form after spending much of the spring with his foot in a walking boot.

Lockhart, who started the last two years on defense, will be counted on more on offense, likely playing tailback, next season. He said he'll be good to go before the season begins. He said he plans to commit to a college on July 6.

"We've been working for this the last three years," Lockhart said about the championship. "This is a great feeling. But we got a mission to come back and do the same thing."

McDonald said this was a chance to close one chapter, before starting the next.

"This just kind of worked out that way," McDonald said about the ring ceremony falling on the same day at the start of spring football practice. "Close the chapter on one season and start the next chapter."

There has been more elevated interest in students wanting to come out for football than the past. This has been building since McDonald came here from Maricopa. There was the 6A playoff appearance during Williams' freshman season. There was the Open Division playoff season in 2021 that ended with a first-round loss to Liberty.

Then, there was the historic 2022 season that included two wins over Chandler and a fourth-quarter rally to beat Hamilton.

Defense was huge, along with Williams' big plays with his legs and arm.

"It's a new house, new project," McDonald said. "This will be the last we talk to our kids about the success of this past season. We've got a whole new season. It's a new group. We've got spring ball. We have a lot of kids still running track. We're going to be missing some key guys for a week or two. We want to develop."

Basha will need to address the offensive and defensive lines and some spots at linebacker, for the most part.

The biggest shoes to fill are Durand's. He was like a coach on the field, a big voice in the locker room and on the field.

"We've got some key pieces coming back," McDonald said. "It's their turn to take the lead. We're going to find out who steps up and takes the leadership role."

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Basha holds ring ceremony before kicking off start of spring football